The Rise of the Black Plain

Nearly a year after leaving Zocarro's artificial moon, Starship 666 finally arrived at the Aether Terminal.",

Various complications arose during the voyage, leading to a four-week delay and causing a change in the captain's initial course. Despite these setbacks, the crew and passengers of Zocarro's grand spaceship overcame all major obstacles and arrived at their destination intact.

Originally, over 100 passengers had embarked from Zocarro, but now only 15 remained on board. Now, 50 aliens who had joined the ship in the recent weeks were approaching the end of their voyage.

Minos and his group were in the cabin they had used throughout the months of travel. The six, still at the same level as when they started the journey, were secured in their seats with their belts.

After the attempted hijacking and the group's time of peace, they hadn't had to fight any enemies. At most, they had had to deal with strange phenomena on the journey, and the hostility of some passengers who had boarded the ship toward the end of the voyage.

Still, they were in good shape, having gained more than they had lost during the entire voyage.

The moment the ship docked at the universal port of Arther Terminal, the captain's image appeared on the screens of all the spaceship's cabins, announcing their arrival at their destination.

He thanked the passengers for choosing his company and then wished those who wouldn't stay in the world around Aether Terminal a safe journey.

Shortly thereafter, the seat belts of all the seats around the spaceship deactivated, releasing the passengers.

Minos and his group left their seats and soon followed the stream of passengers disembarking.

Halfway out, he met the captain and crew of Starship 666.

"Good luck on your voyage, Minos," the captain greeted him one last time.

"Hmm, bon voyage on your return to the artificial moon. If we're lucky, we might see each other again in a few years," Minos said, smiling, relieved to have reached his destination with relatively few losses.

Soon after, his group disembarked from the ship they had traveled on for several months, making their way through the landing terminal alongside various alien creatures following a similar route.

The terminal was much less formidable than the others they had encountered. The most powerful individuals around, aside from the spaceship captains who were arriving or preparing to depart, were at most level 110 Sovereigns. Yet, even these level 110 Sovereigns lacked the cultivation stability of Zocarro's level 108 Sovereigns.

Minos observed these details keenly as he navigated through the bustling set of this space station.

It was like any other space station, made of metal and glass, but the construction there was different, with much less space than the other stops the group had made. The space seemed to be intended for smaller creatures.

There was a special reason for it, but Minos didn't want to find out right now. The fact creatures above a certain size couldn't enter this galaxy was something that wouldn't interfere with their journey.

Soon they were in another area of the space station, which was the smallest they had ever been through, not only in structural size but also in capacity to receive spacecraft.

Besides the spacecraft connecting Aether Terminal to the nearby world, the station could receive a maximum of 9 spacecraft like Starship 666 at the same time.

In just 15 minutes, they were standing in front of a ticket counter selling tickets to leave the Aether Terminal.

As the group approached the native of the area, the robot took the lead and informed the creature of their destination— the galaxy where the solar system of The Adamant Land was located.

"We have a ship departing for your destination in six weeks. The cost for six tickets is 50 Crystex. We have only 45 seats available on this departure, so I advise you to book your tickets as soon as possible. There is considerable traffic between our galaxy and your destination."

The group had previously exchanged their financial resources and some cultivation items for Crystex currency.

Minos paid the 50 Crystex, using up a fifth of his coins.

He was already planning his return journey to Zocarro, which would include a stop at the planet recommended by his superior. For that, he would have to pass through the Aether Terminal, where future payments would also be required.

Holding their tickets, Vicente and his group departed from the travel area and headed towards the small living space present there.

Aether Terminal served as a hub for both intergalactic travelers and aliens looking to explore various parts of the universe. As a result, it featured accommodations, facilities for cultivation, and spaces for social interaction.

The place wasn't big, but it could still fit a maximum of 4,000 beings. Luckily, it had enough space for the group of six beings who wanted to go back to the Spiritual World.

Once they discovered a spot to wait for their departure to the galaxy of The Adamant Land, the group started adjusting to the spiritual conditions of the area.

They couldn't go without cultivation for the next few weeks. Hence, they would spend the rest of the day making adaptations to meet the needs of most of the group. In the meantime, Minos would be vigilant about the well-being of his group.

Aside from the dangers one would face traveling across the universe in a spaceship, stops like this always had their dangers related to theft and fraud.

If you weren't careful, you could even lose your life!

When Minos finally took up his position as the group's guardian, he recalculated his plans. At first, they believed they could make their journey between the Artificial Moon and the Spiritual World in about 115 weeks.

After delays on the journey to the Aether Terminal and the current wait, Minos recalculated how long it would take them to reach their home world.

'We could reach the Spiritual World in at least 83 weeks.' He clenched his fists and felt his heart beat faster.

If there were no major incidents on this part of the journey, they would already be more than a third of the way back to the Spiritual World!

"Damned aliens from the Mechanic Empire, just wait for me! I'm coming to destroy your civilization!" Minos let out a sinister giggle, his homicidal intentions burning even stronger.